Lasting machine



Nov. 23, 1954 Filed May 24, 1950 M. J. RODERICK LASTING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 f? 53' Jae/ea er Hamql J Roderic/Z yfJI/, W W

Nov. 23, 1954 M. J. RODERICK LASTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May24, 1950 United States Patent Ofiice 2,694,817 Patented Nov. 23, 1954LASTING MACHINE Manuel J. Roderick, North Plymouth, Mass., assignor toInternational Shoe Machine Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporationof Massachusetts Application May 24, 1950, Serial No. 163,991

13 Claims. (Cl. 128.3)

This invention relates to machines for use in making shoes andespecially to lasting a part or the entire margin of the shoe, thepresent invention embodying in a different mechanism the principles oflasting, characteristic of my prior machines, to wit, a continuouslasting wherein successive narrow areas of the margin areuninterruptedly gripped, stretched in directions heightwise to thebottom, advanced toward wiping means and released for wiping.concomitantly with the release of the tensioned areas to the wiper meansnew areas are gripped, tensioned and advanced toward the wiping means.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a machine for effectinglasting in accordance with the foregoing principles, wherein thegripping and tensioning means imparts the greatest stress just ahead ofthe point of release of the lasting margin to the wiper, wherein thegripping action on the lasting margin increases progressively from theplace of initial engagement of the grippers with the margin toapproximately the point of complete release of the margin, and wherein asubstantial area of the margin is held supported perpendicular to thebottom during the tensioning thereof even though only narrow areas atany given time are tensioned. Other objects are to provide a machine inwhich the tensioning means assists in guiding, supporting and advancingthe shoe during lasting, which is of extremely simple design,inexpensive construction and yet durable and eflicient in operation.

As herein illustrated the machine has a reciprocable wiper and a pair ofgrippers arranged progressively to engage successive portions of thelasting margin, pull them heightwise substantially perpendicularly tothe bottom and then to release them close to the wiper. The grippersconsist of a pair of rotatable members which turn in unison and haveopposed surfaces, one of which is so arranged that portions thereofalternately approach and recede from the other during rotation,alternately to grip a narrow area of the margin close to the bottom ofthe shoe, pull it heightwise with respect to the bottom and then torelease it. The point of closest approach at which the margins aregripped is substantially at the lowermost point of rotation of themembers and the point of release is situated forwardly of the lowermostpoint in the direction of rotation of the members close to the wipers.The members are in the form of disks, one of which is inclined withrespect to the other and a wedge situated above the axis of rotationbetween the opposed surfaces of the members holds the one disk at anangle to the other disk so that their surfaces approach most closely inthe third quarter of their rotation when the disksare considered asturning clockwise, the disks being held well spaced in the secondquarter of their rotation so as to permit the lasting margin to beintroduced therebetween with ease. The disk engaging the inner side ofthe margin has peripheral contact with the bottom and thus serves as arest against which the bottom is held. in addition the edge may beknurled to assist in advancing the shoe toward the wiper. The wiper isin the form of a rapidly oscillating finger or blade arranged to advanceover the edge of the bottom substantially in a plane thereof andsubstantially at right angles to the edge of the shoe.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine as seen from the top;

. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the machine as seen from one side lookingalong the axis of the drive shaft toward the motor;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner side of one of the grippers;

Fig. 4 is an elevation to larger scale of the grippers as seen from theright-hand side of Fig. 2 with the motor omitted;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the partly in section;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary portion in elevation as seen in Fig. 2 to largerscale showing the relation of the shoe and lasting margin to theoperating instrumentalities; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of the wiper means.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1, the machine comprises essentiallycontinuously rotating gripper elements 10 arranged to engage the lastingmargin of an upper on a last, wiping means 12 for wiping the tensionedmargin inwardly over the bottom of the last, a motor M for driving thegripper elements and the wiper and means 14 for drivably connecting theforegoing operating instrumentalities to the motor.

The gripper members 10 for engaging the lasting margin and impartingtension therein perpendicular to the bottom of the last and advancing ittoward the wiper comprise as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 disks 16 and 18mounted on a common horizontal shaft 20 for rotation therewith, theshaft 20 being arranged to turn in a sleeve 22 which forms a bearingtherefor. The shaft 20 extends rearwardly through the sleeve 22 into theforward end of a sleeve 24, the rear end of which fits over the motorshaft 26 and is secured thereto by set screws 28. A set screw 30 fixesthe rear end of the shaft 20 in a forward end of the sleeve 24. Theforward end of the sleeve 22 is supported by a bracket having a verticalleg 36, Fig. 4, in which there is a hole 38 through which the sleevepasses and a horizontal flange 40 at its lower end bolted or otherwiseattached to a suitable base 42.

The disk 16 is keyed, pressed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 20 soas to rotate therewith and has a substantially flat inner surface 43which is normal to the axis of rotation of the shaft and henceperpendicular to the base of the machine. The peripheral edge of thedisk 16 is knurled or otherwise roughened at 44 for the purpose whichwill appear hereinafter. The disk 18 has at its center an enlarged hub46 having at opposite sides thereof spherical surface portions 48 andthrough this enlarged hub there is formed a cylindrical hole 50 ofsubstantially larger diameter than the shaft 20. The hub 46 is fixed tothe shaft for rotation therewith by a pin 52 extending diametricallythrough the shaft with its ends projecting from opposite sides thereofinto grooves 54 formed in the inner wall of the hole 50 diametricallyopposite each other. As thus constructed the disk 18 is free to rock ortilt relative to the shaft 20 during rotation with the shaft 20. Toprevent disengagement of the disk from the ends of the pin a sphericalrecess 56 is formed in the inner face of the disk 16 with which theinner spherical portion 48 of the hub of the disk 18 engages and acorresponding spherical recess 58 is formed in the forward end of thesleeve 22 with which the outer spherical portion 48 of the hub of disk18 engages. The inner surface of the disk 18-has a frusto-conicalsurface 60 so that when the disk 18 is perpendicular to the shaft 20 thesurface 60 diverges'from the surface 43. The surface 60, Fig. 3, has cutor otherwise formed in it lenticular-shaped grooves grippers and drivetherefor,

61 arranged concentrically about its center of rotation the size of thehole 50 and the hub 46 so that when the disk 18 is tipped a maximumamount the surfaces 42 and 60 will be substantially parallel and spacedfrom each other by an amount somewhat less than the thick ness of theupper material. The disk 18 is held tilted with respect to the disk 16by an idle disk 62, Figs. 4, 5

and 6, which has flat and frusto-conical surfaces 64 and 66 arranged toengage respectively the surfaces 43 and 60 and is mounted for freerotation on a horizontal shaft 68 'so as to enter between the disks 16and 18 near their top within the first quarter of rotation of thesedisks when considering their rotation to start at the top and proceed ina clockwise direction. The shaft 68 is supported in horizontal positionparallel to the shaft 20 by a pair of spaced arms 70, Fig. 5, throughthe upper ends of which the shaft 68 is passed. The lower ends of thearms are mounted on the sleeve 22 which is free to rotate therein andone of the arms is fixed to the bracket 36 by means of a screw 72, Fig.4. As thus situated the idle disk 62 holds the disk 18 at such an anglewith respect to the disk 16 that the surfaces 42 and 60 come togethermost closely during the third quarter to one-half their travel in thethird quarter. At their of rotation of the disks and preferably aboutone-third entrance side, that is at the right as seen in Fig. 6, thedisks are relatively widely spaced so that the operator can introducethe marginal edge of the upper between the disks easily for thebeginning of the lasting operation. approximately at the lowermost pointof rotation of the disks at the beginning of the third quarter ofrotation close to the bottom. As the disks continue to rotate their gripon the lasting margin progressively increases so that the lasting marginis pulled upwardly perpendicularly with reference to the bottom of theshoe which rests against the peripheral edge of the disk 16.Approximately one-third to one-half way of the third quarter of rotationthe maximum pull is applied, this being nearly opposite the wiper meansand just ahead of the point at which the disks release the margin to thewiper as shown in Fig. 6. During tensioning the bottom of the shoe isengaged by the peripheral edge of the disk 16 which holds the shoe at afixed level while the margin is being tensioned, assists the operator inguiding and steadying the shoe and assists in moving the shoe smoothlyand uniformly as it is turned for complete or partial lasting.

The wiper 12, Figs. 1 and 7, is constituted by a blade or finger 74situated close to the discharge side of the disks 16 and 18 with itslower surface substantially horizontal for reciprocation in a planeslightly above the lowermost point of the disk and parallel to thebottom of the shoe held against the support. The wiper blade 74 isslidably mounted in a sleeve 76 fastened to the inside of one of a pairof vertical legs 78 of a substantially rectangular bracket 80 fastenedto the base 42. The rear end of the blade 74 has a right-angularextension 82 (Fig. 1) in which there is a slot 84. An arm 86 is mountedon the top of the bracket 80 with one end 88 pivoted thereto foroscillation in the plane of the top. The opposite end of the arm has onit a wedgeshaped cam block 90. The arm 86 has a slot 92 extendinglengthwise thereof and through this slot there extends a pin 94, thelower end of which enters the slot 84 in the extension 82. The pin has areduced neck for passage through the slot 92 thereby affording ashoulder for engagement with the underside of the arm 86 and a threadednut 96 for engagement with the portion projecting upwardly through theslot 92 which may be screwed down hard against the top of the arm 86 tofix the pin at any given point along the slot 92. By adjustment of thepin 94 along the slot 92 the stroke of the wiper may be adjusted. Aspring 98, Figs. 2 and 7, connected to the pin 94 and to the forwardedge of the leg 78 yieldably urges the wiper to a forward position. Toeffect reciprocation of the wiper there is mounted on the sleeve 22,Figs. 1 and 5, a earn 100 which is in the form of a flat disk 102 fromthe rear side of which projects a plurality of pins 104 having conicalends 106 arranged intermittently to engage the wedge-shaped cam 90 toforce the arm 86 rearwardly and then release it for forward movement bymeans of a spring 98. Eight pins 104 are used as illustrated so that thearm is reciprocated once for each 45 of movement of the gripper disks.The number of pins used may of course be varied within limits todecrease or increase the number of vibrations per rotation of the camplate. A keeper bar 108 overlies the forward portion of the arm 86 andholds it against vertical displacement.

Rotation of the sleeve 22 is effected by a pin 105, Fig. 5, fixed in theshaft 20 which extends into a groove 112 formed on the inside of thesleeve 22. Axial displacement of the sleeve 22 is opposed by yieldablemeans in the form'of a pair ofrubber sleeves. 114 mounted ,on the rearend of the sleeve between a nut 116 threaded The initial grip on thelasting margin is appliedv on the sleeve against the arm 70 and a washer118 surrounding the shaft 20, the shaft being held in a fixed positionby a lock washer 120 set into a groove 122 formed in a peripheralsurface of the shaft 20.

In operation a last L having an upper assembly U and insole S orequivalent bottom element thereon is placed with the bottom structureagainst the peripheral edge of the disk 16 with the lasting margin mbetween the diverging disks at the entrance side thereto and is thenmoved forwardly under the combined feeding action of the disks and themovement imparted thereto by the operator whereupon successive portionsof the lasting margin are initially gripped substantially at the pointof tangency of the last with the bottom of the disks 16 and 18,concomitantly stretched in a direction heightwise to the bottom of thelast and advanced toward the wiper as the disks turn and then releasedto the wiper whereupon the latter wipes them in over the bottom of theshoe. This action takes place progressively, that is, simultaneouslywith the gripping of new portions of the lasting margin and stretchingthereof heightwise of the bottom of the last, previously stretchedportions of the lasting margin are released close to the wiper and arewiped inwardly over the bottom by the wiper. This progressive stretchingand wiping of the lasting margin takes place uninterruptedly throughoutthe entire peripheral edge of the shoe or so long as the operator wishesto hold the shoe in a position to continue such stretching and wiping.In any case, whether the entire peripheral edge of the shoe or only aportion thereof is lasted, the operation is continuous as distinguishedfrom the intermittent gripping and releasing of successive spacedportions of the margin as in most conventional lasting machines.

In further contrast to prior machines the flat inner surface of the disk16 tends to hold a substantial portion of the lasting margin erectduring the tensioning which keeps the margin fiat so that when wipedover the bottom it will lie smoothly.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a bottom rest againstwhich the bottom structure of a shoe assembled on a last may beplaced,gripping means consisting of a pair of disks arranged to turn in unisonabout an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the bottom when theshoe is held against said rest, said disks having opposed surfaces,portions of which are substantially parallel for gripping the lastingmargin and being rotatable in a direction to assist in advancing themarginl forwardly for progressively and increasingly stretching itsubstantially heightwise to the bottom and means for effecting rotationof the disks, the disk engaging the inner side of the lasting marginconstituting said bottom rest.

2. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a bottom rest againstwhich the bottom structure of a shoe assembled on a last can be placed,gripper means consisting of a pair of disks arranged to turn in unisonabout a substantially horizontal axis parallel to the bottom of the shoewhen the latter is held against the rest with portions of their surfacessubstantially perpendicular to the bottom, parallel to each other andclosely spaced for gripping engagement with the lasting margin, andmeans for effecting rotation of the disks in a direction to advance themargin forwardly and for progressively increasingly stretching itsubstantially heightwise to the bottom and then releasing it, saidstretching taking place throughout an appreciable angular distance ofrotation of said disks.

3. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe to be lasted, reciprocable wipermeans arranged to move inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when heldagainst the support, gripper means consisting of a pair of disksarranged side by side, with portions of their opposed surfaces paralleland substantially perpendicular to the bottom of a shoe, the opposedparallel portions of said disks being adapted to engage the oppositesides of the lasting margin with a portionof the peripheral edge of thedisk at the inner side of the margin engaged with the bottom affordingsaid support therefor, means for effecting rotation of the disks in adirection to advance the margin toward the wiper, and simultaneouslyprogressively to pull the margin heightwise with respect to the bottomto apply a substantial degree of tension thereto and finally to releasethe margin close to the wiper and means for effecting reciprocation ofthe wiper to wipe the released margin inwardly over the bottomstructure.

4. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, reciprocable wiper means arranged tomove inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when held against saidsupport, gripper means consisting of a pair of discs arranged side byside for rotation in unison about a common axis parallel to the bottomof the shoe, one of said disks having a flat side surface and beingconstrained to move in a plane normal to the axis of rotation thereofand the other having a surface inclined to the axis of rotation andbeing free to tilt with reference to its axis to bring a portion of itsinclined surface substantially parallel to the surface of said one disk,said disks when parallel being adapted to grip the lasting margin, meansholding said other disk tilted away from said one disk in such manner asto bring their surfaces into parallel gripping relation with the marginat that portion of their rotation extending from a point perpendicularto the bottom to near the wiper and means for effecting reciprocation ofthe wiper.

5. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, reciprocable wiper means arranged tomove inwardly over the bottom of the shoe as held against said support,grippers consisting of disks arranged side by side for rotation inunison about a common axis parallel to the bottom of the shoe heldagainst the support, one of said disks being fixed to turn in a planenormal to its axis and the other arranged to tilt relative to said onedisc, means for effecting rotation of the disks, means for controllingthe tiltable disk so that the latter approaches said one disk mostclosely at that side of its axis of rotation closest to the wiperstarting at a point nearly perpendicular to the bottom and continuing tonear the wiper and means for effecting reciprocation of the wiper.

6. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, reciprocable wiper means arranged tomove inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when held against the support,gripper means consisting of a pair of disks arranged side by side forrotation in unison about a common axis parallel to the bottom of theshoe held against the support, one of said disks being fixed to turn ina plane normal to its axis and the other arranged to be tilted relativeto said one disk, means for holding the tiltable disk during rotationthereof at an angle to said one disk which converges toward the wiper soas initially to grip a narrow area of the lasting margin substantiallyperpendicular to the bottom and concomitantly to advance 1t and pull itheightwise relative to the bottom and then to release it close to thewiper and means for effecting reciprocation of the wiper.

7. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, reciprocable wiper means arranged tomove inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when held against its support,gripper means consisting of a pair of disks arranged side by side forrotation in unison, with one disk at an angle with respect to the otherso that corresponding points of the opposed surfaces alternatelyapproach each other to grip successive portions of the lasting marginand concomitantly advance them toward the wiper, pull them heightwiserelative to the bottom and then to release them, once each 360 ofrotation, means for holding said one disk so that it approaches saidother disk most closely at substantially the lower left hand quarter ofrotation of the disks at the wiper side thereof and means for effectingreciprocation of the wipers.

8. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, reciprocable wiper means, grippingmeans consisting of a pair of disks arranged side by side on a commonshaft for rotation in unison, means for effecting rotation of said disksin a clockwise direction, one of said disks being tiltable on said shaftrelative to the other disk, means interposed between the disks in thefirst quarter of rotation for holding said one disk inclined withrespect to said other disk with portions thereof in their third quarterof rotation closest together so as initially to grip a narrow area ofthe lasting margin substantially heightwise to the bottom andconcomitantly pull it upwardly relative to the bottom and advance ittoward the wiper and then to release it, said wiper means being situatednear the third quarter of rotation of said disks and movable in adirection perpendicular to the plane of rotation of said other disk andmeans for effecting reciprocation of the wiper.

9. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, reciprocable wiper means arranged tomove inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when the latter is heldagalnst its support, gripper means consisting of a pair of disksarranged side by side on a common shaft for rotation in unison, one ofsaid disks being tiltable on the shaft relative to the other, a wedgeshaped member arranged between the disks at their upper first quarter ofrotation for holding the opposed surfaces of the disks at the lowerthird quarter of rotation closest together, means for effectingclockwise rotation of the disks concomitantly to advance the lastingmargin introduced therebetween toward the wiper means and to pull itheightwise relative to the bottom and then to release it and means foreffecting reciprocation of the wiper means to wipe the released marginover the bottom.

10. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichthe bottom of a shoe may be placed, reciprocable wiper means arranged tomove inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when held against the support,gripper means consisting of a pair of disks so ar ranged that portionsof their surfaces progressively move together to grip the lasting marginnear the end of the lower right hand second quarter of rotation and tomove apart near the lower left hand third quarter of rotation to releasethe lasting margin, means for effecting rotation of the disks to gripsuccessive portions of the margin introduced thherebetween and means foreffecting vibration of the wiper at a rate of eight strokes perrevolution of the disks in a plane parallel to the bottom substantiallyat right angles to the edge of the shoe.

11. In a machine for shaping uppers over a last, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, a reciprocable wiper means arrangedto move inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when held against thesupport, and means for supplying narrow areas of the lasting margin tothe wiper means said means con sisting of a pair of disks arranged sideby side, a shaft to which the disks are fixed for rotation one of saiddisks being tiltable on said shaft, means interposed between the disksat a position to hold the lower left hand quarter of the disks at thewiper side close together, means for effecting rotation of the disksinitially to grip the margin introduced therebetween, pull it heightwiserelative to the bottom, advance it toward the wiper and then to releaseit, a sleeve on the shaft, means operably connecting the sleeve to saidshaft for rotation thereby, cam means carried by the sleeve rotatabletherewith and means operably connecting said cam means with the wiperfor effecting oscillation of the wiper a predetermined number of timesfor each revolution of the disks to wipe the tensioned margin releasedthereto inwardly over the bottom.

12. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe, reciprocable wiper means arranged tomove inwardly over the bottom of the shoe when held against the support, and means for supplying successive narrow areas of the lastingmargin to the wiper means, said means consisting of a pair of disksarranged side by side, a shaft to which the disks are fixed forrotation, one of said disks being tiltable on said shaft, meansinterposed between the disks at a position to hold the lower left handquarter of the disks at the wiper side thereof close together, means foreffecting rotation of the disks initially to grip the margin introducedthereto close to the bottom, pull it heightwise relative to the bottom,advance it toward the wiper and then to release it, a sleeve on saidshaft, means operably connecting the sleeve to the shaft for rotationthereby, cam means carried by the sleeve rotatable therewith, and adriving arm connected to the wiper and operable by the cam to effectoscillation of the wiper, to wipe successive portions of the tensionedmargin released thereto inwardly over the bottom, the effective lengthof the arm being adjustable to vary the stroke of the wiper.

13. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a support against whichmay be placed the bottom of a shoe,

reciprocable wiper means arranged to move inwardly over the bottom ofthe shoe when held against said support, grippers consisting of a pairof disks having opposed surfaces, a shaft supporting said disks forrotation in unison so that any given point on one disk approaches andrecedes from a corresponding point on the other disk during eachrotation of said disks, and so that at the point of closest approach thelasting allowance initially will be gripped between the correspondingpoints of the disks along a narrow area substantially perpen- 10 dicularto the bottom, will be pulled heightwise perpendicular to the bottom,advanced toward the wiper and then released at a point forwardly thereofin a direction of rotation near the wipers as said corresponding pointsof the disks begin to recede from each 15 other, means for effectingrotation of said shaft, and means for elfecting reciprocation of thewiper means to wipe successive portions of the tensioned margin releasedthereto inwardly over the bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 247,998 Steinle Oct. 4, 1881 1,356,540 McFeely Oct. 26, 19201,629,473 Brackett et a1. May 24, 1927 2,251,284 Kambrian Aug. 5, 194:2,286,362 Hammann June 16, 1942 2,467,387 Kamborian Apr. 19, 1949

